Life Lessons
by Nicole Silverwolf
Summary: Sometimes your family chooses you. For an eleven year old Duo Maxwell...he's about to meet a group of people who will become a part of his. And to think it started with an orphan stowaway on a Sweeper ship...
1. Life Lessons 1

Disclaimers: Gundam Wing not mine. The End. The characters Ray and Steve do not belong to me. All other original characters are mine.

Special thanks to Stormy of GWAddiction for her gracious permission to use Ray and Steve here. This is an ongoing series about Duo's time among the sweepers leading up to before he ended up on the ship that would lead to his meeting of Dr. G and subsequent choice to become a Gundam pilot. It's a sorely overlooked (at least in my opinion) part of Duo's history.

Comments are always welcome.

**Life Lessons**

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

"I know I heard something Steve. Twenty bucks if I'm wrong alright?"

Distractedly Ray went back to sweeping the cargo bay of the ship with the beam of the flashlight. The other mechanic considered this for a long while and then shrugged. Ray wasn't likely to be deterred anyways. He was their most stubborn rookie yet. Maybe he'd be twenty dollars richer by the end of this little jaunt. Who knew?

They were sweeping the final bowels of the ship and soon they could get back to the repairs they were sorely neglecting. Ray was the newest addition to the Sweeper group--a skilled mechanic just out of school who had wanted nothing but to be a sweeper since he started college. Now with a degree in mechanical engineering and a wealth of experience already under his belt he was rapidly working his way up the ladder in the group. Howard had taken a liking to him as well, which had made it much easier to assimilate him into their pseudo family.

Steve's own assent through the ranks was not as quick, yet he truly enjoyed his position. Helping the rookies get adjusted was one of the best things about his job. He was good at what he did and enjoyed helping direct the newbies to the right room, parts bin or area.

Ray swung the beam left and then right, letting his eyes scan in its wake for anything that would be out of the ordinary. Maybe it had been just a trick of an overactive imagination. But there was something pulling him to stay...something important.

And then they heard it.

A cough.

The gross, wet and scientifically icky variety.

Two sets of eyebrows raised in surprise.

So Ray hadn't been mistaken at all. The sound, though it echoed and was distorted by the nature of such a room was localized somewhere off to their right. Picking up another flashlight Steve followed much more cautiously, flicking the beam on to join the other in the search.

Slinking from box to box found them soon near the far corner of the north end of the ship. A few packing crates--loaded on as some of their first cargo--were stacked neatly against the wall, two high and three across. Another weak cough radiated again, definitely coming from behind the crates and was now accompanied by a quiet sickly wheezing. It hadn't been audible from the distance they had originally been at.

Steve took the lead, pulling a large wrench from his overall pockets and brandishing it like a bat. There was a real good chance there was some sort of violent creature back there, though he wasn't sure what kind of threat it would pose if its lungs sounded like that. Still in his mind it was a better idea to be safe than sorry.

It was freezing down here, probably somewhere around fifty degrees. Fine if you were wearing a jacket and warmish, thick clothes. Not fine if you were wearing nothing but overalls and a thin shirt like the two mechanics were. The air was almost to the point where it made puffs of condensed air.

The light swung over the bundle on the first round. On the second one it didn't miss it.

"Ray?"

"Yeah? Sup?"

"Go get Howard and tell him to get down here." There was a stressed and worried air in the tone, one that gave pause to Ray.

"Why? What'd you find?" The younger man's curiosity piqued, he leaned on the older mechanic's shoulder and peered down at the object of their search. His eyebrows drew together in a hedge of worry and confused anger. At who it was directed was uncertain.

"Shit..."

Curled up on the floor in the space between the boxes was a kid. A little boy who couldn't be older than eleven if one was generous. The little bit of face they could see was gaunt and stunted from obvious malnutrition. A messy chestnut braid was wrapped around too thin shoulders and the boy was dressed in clothes that--had he be fed properly--would have probably been too small for him.

Wrapped into the tightest ball he could possibly get himself into Steve could see white skin protruding around his ankles, indicating pants too short for him. The little one shivered and shook miserably and hacked another cough out before moaning slightly and trying to bury himself even further. He did not awaken. His face was sallow, the obvious color of a sick person's and it was apparent he was in some form of respiratory distress.

Ray stepped back, slowly at first, still too stunned to really do much of anything. Then common sense kicked in and he turned, sprinting for stairs and catwalk that would lead him back to the main sector of the ship.

Steve stayed there, crouching down between the wall and the first of the crates, his eyes on the child sleeping.

A stowaway.

Worse than that...a kid stowaway. And it didn't look like a runaway either, Steve decided as he looked the boy over as critically as he could from his position. The tattered clothes, too short and too old, along with the incredibly skinniness spoke of a very hard life. Probably an orphan's. L2--their last stop was a poverty stricken place as that whole colony had traditionally been. They had probably picked the kid up there. He was either sick when he got on or got sick sleeping with the thin clothes on down in the bowels of the ship for a week.

He worried a little about the severity of whatever the kid had caught. They had a doctor and adequate medical supplies on board--on Howard's express orders--but there was no way they could handle a breakout of this on the ship. They'd have to dock somewhere to get assistance and would definitely be late in their shipment route.

It was a complication they just did not need at this point.

But as he continued to watch the youngster, breathing thickly and shivering, he found it harder and harder to blame him for it. The child looked so lost. 'Looked!' he scoffed, 'The kid is lost.'

And something pulled at his heart deeply as he waited. He didn't even realize he was becoming attached to the nameless bundle already.

Blueprints were layered haphazardly on the desk of Howard's office. Scattered in between were beer bottles, dark brown paperweights crowding the uncovered portions of the desk. A battered lamp illuminated the table, but cast odd shadows over the rest of the room, which was lit adequately at best. And in the middle of it all was one near asleep mechanic.

Short, bristled gray hair only sparsely covered the older man's head. Tell him he was old and you'd more than likely find yourself floating without a helmet in vacuum. Howard considered himself anything but old.

The Hawaiian shirt he usually was found in was wrinkled and in need of a replacement. But for arguably one of the most brilliant mechanics of the day, clothing and appearance took second precedence to electronics. Dozing over a less than interesting log of their last dock he was startled awake by a near frantic pounding on the cabin door.

Only years of experience allowed him to catch the half-full bottle before it tipped and spilled over. Expertly he brought it up and tipped it back-keeping the foam from spilling over the lip of the bottle.

'Damn excitable kids...' flitted with only half-hearted anger through his mind.

"Come in!" He barked with the required easygoing gruffness he was well known for.

The person, whoever it was took a moment to compose themself before keying the door open. Howard wasn't really surprised when a thoroughly nervous Ray stepped into the room. He liked the new kid, he was obviously intelligent and was a quick study--having picked up half the stuff in half the time it should normally have taken him.

The kid was still intimidated by the great Howard however and he felt like a high school teacher or college professor. The student caught somewhere between awe and fear during those first few meetings. 'Still got that touch.' He smiled to himself.

"What's up Ray?"

"There's something you gotta see boss. Right now."

There was a serious air in his tone and demeanor that Howard caught instantly. Something was wrong then. He stood and drew his eyebrows together in contemplation all matters of a too-cool-to-be-bothered captain gone.

"Where?"

"Down in the cargo bay sir. Steve said I needed to get you."

Howard headed out the door with him, palming it shut and locking it as he went. The cargo bay? What the hell would be wrong down there? They weren't shipping anything dangerous at the moment. Unless...

"We have a stowaway." He concluded correctly. That would explain why he would be needed. He was in charge of this particular cargo vessel.

"Yeah sir..." Ray replied quietly. Howard didn't stop though he heard a very strange quality in the young man's voice. There were complications then. They continued to climb down through the levels without another word.

Within moments they had made it back to the single white beam of light that spread from the floor to the ceiling at the far end of the bay. Steve was crouching near the crate in question, but turned waving them silently forward. Instinctively Howard stepped forward followed closely by Ray. They both lowered their movements to make as little noise as possible.

"What have we got?"

Howard took the flashlight offered to him and flashed it carefully to the side, letting light fall behind the crate, but diffusely so that it illuminated but did not indicate there was a flashlight there.

"Looks like an orphan...too sickly to be a runaway." Steve gestured to the gaunt features and the worn, too short clothes.

Outwardly Howard only tightened his lip in something that the casual observer might guess as anger or impatience. Inside however nothing but shock was all he could register for a few moments.

By far this was the youngest stowaway Howard had ever seen before. Normally getting caught stowed away on a ship was grounds to be shoved out a port hole or onto the next colony if the captain was in a very generous mood. But this kid couldn't be younger than eleven. And it was obvious he was sick, maybe pneumonia or worse.

No one on the ship knew exactly how much of a soft spot Howard had for kids. If they found out it was likely that he might never live it down. Perhaps it had come from the fact that he had been an only child or the fascination he loved seeing in their faces. No one really knew the reason and Howard himself would barely admit it to himself.

But this boy...

No. There was no way they could take on this kind of responsibility. No way he could take on this responsibility. And it was stupid of him to even consider it. Another mouth to feed, air to provide for and clothes to put on. And the kid would most definitely need new clothes. He'd need a place to sleep and he'd just be a burden to the rest of the crew. They couldn't afford a deadweight.

Still, no one should have to suffer like that. And there was that soft spot. Oh who was he trying to kid...the mere sight of the kid had him hooked.

Steve didn't miss the conflict in his bosses facial features. He also had the sensibility to hold his tongue about such matters.

"Let's get him outta there. We can keep him in my quarters till we can get Kerry to look at him." After the two very odd looks the two men could not conceal Howard explained.

"We don't have the resources or time to get the whole ship sick and my quarters will be the most isolated place where he can recover...at least until we get to the next colony. And we can't go back and just leave the kid somewhere."

Ray just barely contained his surprise. Steve stood up and slid to the back of the crates, behind where the boy was situated.

"Help me out here Ray. I ain't your age anymore." Steve grumbled as he reached down to pull the boy out from the corner he had scrunched himself in. Ray slid forward--slight of build and thin in the shoulders--gave him the advantage in crouching between the boxes.

Ray put his hand forward. "Hey kid, c'mon wake up. You don't gotta sleep there now. We're not gonna hurt you."

His fingers brushed the top of the boy's wrist, which was the closest part of the ball that was the child's body. No one expected anything to happen.

But the child apparently never got that memo. With that faint brush of hand against his the boy was hypersensitively awake. Even as sick as he was his breathing sped up, endorphins rushing through his system and giving him a strength born of terror and desperation. A strength that was there though he shouldn't have been able to stand.

His eyes widened in terror and he did the first thing that came instinctively to his mind. He lashed out as hard and as fast as he possibly could.

The fist, small though it was, carried the entire weight of the boy behind it. Physics did the rest and Ray was on the floor rather unceremoniously, holding his jaw and staring at the blur of black and dirty golden brown as it dashed for the exit.

Duo was panicked to say the least. Terrified if he really wanted to get technical about it. The briefest of touches was enough to rocket him from feeling like he was dying to full battle mode. He didn't expect to be staring at a pair of eyes less than a foot from him.

Dread within an instant seeped into him. He had hoped to make it at least another week before anyone would take notice of him. Maybe even enough to get wherever this ship was headed and sneak off. But he was sick and hadn't heard the guy poking around until he was right there in front of him. Duo's mind was already reeling with other places he just might be able to stash himself until the next stop.

All this passed through the boy's mind in the space of the firing of a few synapses. He was already punching the stranger in the face by the time the thought ended. And as he swayed--far too unsteadily on his feet for his taste--he took off for the rest of the hangar. The further the distance the better.

What he hadn't counted on was the guy he ran headlong into. His shoulders were grabbed and Duo faintly recognized a bright Hawaiian print before he was fighting with every ounce of strength and skill he possessed.

"Steve!" an older voice growled. The one who was holding his shoulders. Then the voice was directed back down to him. "Hey kid, stop! I'm not gonna hurt ya kid. Take it easy!"

"Lemme go! Let go!" The boy let out a string of curses as another set of arms grabbed at his flailing hands which were balled into fists.

Ray had recovered himself and grabbed at the boys thin legs which were pounding rather mercilessly into Steve's shins.

"Geez this kid's strong!"

"I thought he was sick!"

"Yeah well he definitely knows how to fight!"

Howard continued to hold onto the boy's shoulders as he fought to free himself. Repeating the litany over and over he reassured the boy they weren't here to harm him and that he needed to calm down.

Endorphins and terror only worked for a short period of time. Duo was very aware that he was at a definite disadvantage. Three people were holding him as far as he could tell. They were bigger and older and a lot stronger than him. But there wasn't a chance in hell that he was going to go down without a fight.

His head was swimming and felt fuzzy as if stuffed with cotton. He was alternately burning and freezing. Everything felt heavy and his vision was getting gray at the edges.

He started to protest more feebly. "Please, just let me go...I'm just trying to survive. I didn't steal anything. I just had to get away from there. Please let me go. Please..."

He turned the most startling pair of wide indigo-violet eyes up to beg the older man not to kill him. Those eyes were clouded with fever and delirium but still caught Howard with their gaze. Not much of a romantic he still was swept away by the strength of will and gentle grace found there.

But he didn't have time to dwell on it as those same eyes rolled up into the back of the child's skull and he became boneless.

"Shit..." Steve, who was best prepared to carry the boy caught the slight weight as it sank bonelessly to the floor. He was surprised at how easy it was to pick him up. The kid couldn't weigh more than fifty pounds...at the most. He was a waif.

"Alright stop standing there...let's get him up to the room. Ray, go wake Kerry up. Tell her it's an emergency and to bring anything she can to my quarters yesterday." Howard barked the orders in the fashion that had both earned him respect and fear from the members of his crew.

Ray was off like a shot the echo of pounded metal fading a moment later. Steve shifted the small bundle gently in his arms and stepped up to Howard.

"Do ya need any help?" he asked, casting a critically worried look at the small black bundle.

"No," he replied quietly the sadness leeching into his words. "The kid can't weigh more than forty five pounds...maybe less."

Howard looked troubled, but deigned to say nothing. He led the way in silence back out to the barracks and down a little used hallway to his quarters.

They walked in silence, the harsh sounds of the child's breathing and the echo of footfalls the only break.

He gestured to the bed with rumpled but plentiful covers at the other end of the room. They were monotone colors wrapped and scattered much like a male mechanic's room would typically look like. When the child was laid out on it, he looked even smaller than before. The bed dwarfed him, though it was small.

A few minutes later they were joined by Ray and the ship's lone physician...Kerry. She was tall, late twenties, nothing extraordinary in looks. Bright blue eyes and red hair--a seeming contradiction to the meaning of her name. She was one of the very few female members of the crew. Her unique background with a degree in chemical engineering had both well prepared her for medical school and for life among the Sweepers. Not having really planned to join them she had none the less been approached by Howard after her graduation from school and completion of residency.

Kerry liked to think that she accepted the job because Howard reminded her of her favorite teacher from high school. The one who had told her that she should pursue medicine if she really wanted to.

Ray's frantic pounding on the door to get up had her springing for the door and keying the lock without being actually awake. The simple words, "It's an emergency," all she needed to know. He had filled her in on what she asked as they hurried down the halls.

It was a long while before Kerry turned her now stormy blue eyes back to the group of three men who waited nearby, but sensibly out of her way.

"So..." Ray questioned without preamble. He was never one to be tactful, prudent or patient as she was coming to recognize. But they did all seem unusually nervous and she dared to think the word worried about the little boy curled on the bed. She had to confess that the feeling was mutual.

"He's severely malnourished. Probably has been suffering from near starvation most of his short life. Dehydrated and in desperate needs of a lot of vitamins. Unfortunately pretty common ailments if he's an orphan like I suspect he may be. He's got bronchitis which is borderline pneumonia--I wouldn't be surprised if it degenerates into that by the end of the night. Any longer down there and he probably would have died. As it is it'll be touch and go for a few days."

"Can you treat any of it?" That from Howard, practical and thinking as always.

"I've hooked him on a multiple drip IV to at least begin to combat some of it. Dosed him up on some rather high powered antibiotics too. He should probably get a bath to help keep that fever down a bit and to get that grime off of him. It'd probably relieve a lot of the discomfort. Other than that I can't tell you more to do."

"We'll take care of it."

"You can remove the IV line to clean him up, just be careful around the needle insert. I'll be back in a few hours to check on him. Is that alright?"

"Leave your com unit on in case things get out of hand."

"Fine."

Being a woman of few words Kerry rose quickly, snagging belongings and placing them back into their respective places. Nodding her approval to Steve, who was expertly removing the IV she headed for the door. What surprised her the most was the way she saw Howard expertly scoop up and cradle the form in his arms.

Howard wasn't that old persay but she had always assumed he had been a bachelor for his entire life. Watching the way he gently held the long-haired boy made her think twice.

Like a father.

And in a flashing instant the thought was gone and she was shaking her head. It wasn't her business and there were still four more hours before she needed to get up. If they needed her they would call, Kerry was sure of that. Closing the door behind her she stood just outside of it for a long moment.

Please don't let the kid die. she offered to whomever would listen without even knowing why she was doing so. With no more than that she walked back down the hall. There was no doubt that she would get little sleep tonight.

_TBC_

Sooooo...comments, criticisms, flames, anything you'd like to throw at me? Please do so now!

Thanks for reading.


	2. Life Lessons 2

Disclaimer: see first chapter.

Comments are always welcome.

**Life Lessons  
**

**By, Nicole Silverwolf**

Steve didn't have the audacity to challenge the efficiency with which Howard got the boy washed. And any disparaging comments were lost as the seriousness of the situation and the health of the boy were put to the fore.

The soot, dirt, grease and grime that had covered the child from head to foot had given his skin a darker tinge. But as the water washed the layers away it became obviously apparent that the skin was incredibly pale, not completely due to the fact that the boy was sick. Each rib was slightly visible, a pale shadow against a smooth chest, collar and elbow bones sticking out at almost painful angles.

Ray had, sometime during the bath, disappeared but had returned by the time they had finished with his smallest pair of sweatpants. Also curled in his hands were both a thin tee shirt and a thicker sweatshirt emblazoned with his college--Carnegie Mellon--on the front.

"I didn't think you'd have anything small enough for him. I'm the smallest guy on the ship so..." he started uncertainly as he held the items out. They were soft and worn, obviously things he had had for some time. And from their soft texture also well loved.

"Smart thinking Ray. Think you can get him into them?" Howard asked, hefting a bundle of white in his arms. The boy--who had not woken the entire time--was carefully wrapped in a think towel, feet sticking out at one end and a long twisted rope of chestnut at the other. Unbraided it had been washed and looked as if it were still dirty--dark with moisture as it was.

"Ummmm, I don't know jack-shit about kids Howard." Ray eyed the bundle like a poisonous snake that would jump out and bite him at a moment's notice.

"The boy's unconscious Ray...it ain't that hard," Steve retorted from the doorway.

Howard wasn't nearly as fussy about it and gently (but unceremoniously) plopped the boy into Ray's arms. "So now you'll learn. Never know when you'll need to take care of a sick kid of your own."

So with a little tutelage from both Howard and Steve (and one near disaster later) the little unnamed bundle was curled back in the bed. The loose gray pants and dark blue, oversized t-shirt were huge on the tiny child but by rolling the ends on the pant legs and the arm holes they exposed the feet and most of the arms. The two inexperienced men observed as Steve reinserted the IV and slid his hand up under the boy's forehead to check the temperature.

"I think it went up a bit."

"Crap."

"Get some rubbing alcohol--ethanol--if you don't have anything like it. A wash cloth and bowl too."

Howard rolled off his seat and went in search of the called for items.

And so the rest if the night wore on--each person alternately giving alcohol rubs and using cold compresses to try and combat the raging fever. Perhaps what so bothered the others was the boy's absolute stillness. The whole night passed without a twitch from the form ensconced in blankets and IV's. It served to accentuate the graveness of the illness which gripped him. Barely anyone else spoke and the only change was that around 0600 Kerry showed back up. Exactly four hours from her last visit, though it looked as if those hours had not been spent in sleep.

Shoeing both Steve and Ray out to bed around eight she could hardly tell Howard to sleep. Where exactly should she tell him to go? Most of the female crew wouldn't appreciate it if she told him to take her bunk. And the rest of the quarters were full at the moment. But she doubted that she could get Howard to leave on her own. One of the more deceptively stubborn people Kerry had ever met, she doubted that unless she could move the entire ship...Howard would go on doing whatever he had to do.

So he had taken up residence near the head of the bed while Kerry alternated between sitting next to him to pacing back and forth. Occasionally she would check her messages, which provided her the most reliable information about the ship.

Awkwardly she broke the silence. "I'm going to find some breakfast and pick up some stronger antibiotics. As I expected he's got pneumonia now and I'd like to treat him a bit more aggressively than we already have been."

Brown eyes narrowed dangerously. Maybe he thought there was something she was holding back. Perhaps he simply wanted to break the unnatural silence. Or perhaps stir up some trouble.

"You not telling me something about this kid Kerry?"

The tone was off in Kerry's mind for a question--almost a threat but not really--softened by the fact that it was Howard whom Kerry had little fear of. She rose to take the bait in any case.

"Is there something you're not telling me Howard? You don't act this concerned usually," she pointed out. 'What's different about this kid?' The unspoken question that appeared in midair.

"It's none of your business Doctor," the use of the title and the tone indicating the exchange was closed.

Her dark eyes clouded in confused anger for a moment. It wasn't really directed at anyone in particular but she was upset. What exactly had she said to make her captain clam up so fast?

"Yes sir," she responded quietly, letting a little of the worry seep through. With one searching, long gaze she headed out.

A troubled expression followed her out the door.

Alone except for the beeps and the pained wheezing of a very sick boy Howard reached out and switched the cold compress, though it had plenty of cold water still trapped in it.

With what little skill he had in the area he had messily re-braided the obviously precious hair and had tied it off with an offending piece of string that had been haunting his desk for over a month.

Watching the labored rise and fall of the chest from an arm's length away Howard had the distinct uncomfortable feeling that comes with forced and unnatural silence.

Having seen the boy for only a few lucid moments he really had no basis for comparison. But some gut instinct and a rather dubious first impression told him that this forced stillness was uncomfortably wrong. His understanding of children in total was that they were bundles of energy. The obvious illness shattered that truth and made it seem all the more eerie.

A brief, if miniscule movement--the first in literally hours--was enough to bring the older man from his revere. A pinched brow, a pained expression on an otherwise slack face and a gentle roll/almost thrash that left a face turned to the side. But it pinned down the incredible loneliness that filled the room.

Howard let quiet, watchful brown eyes linger on the boy for a very long moment, a type of internal debate hidden behind the intelligent depths. So it was quiet as he reached out and gently took a slack hand into his and gently rubbed his thumb over it. From a mechanical, strictly medical standpoint there wasn't any reason for the action. From every other standpoint it was rather significant.

"So what's your story kid...and who the hell decided that I deserved a second chance?"

He half expected a response even though he knew there couldn't be one. "You just get better...we'll decide where to go from there."

A quiet tiny whine and silence were his only replies.

* * *

There was no real second in command of the Sweepers--rather an elaborate cabinet of elder Sweepers--who complimented each other and led where the others faltered. Steve held most of the responsibility and sway since he was so amiable and known by quite literally everyone on the crew and in several of the other Sweeper crews scattered around the colonies and Earth. Unfortunately he had no knowledge of shipping etiquette or how to handle traders. That duty had fallen to Kerry and several others who upon occasion had to deal with other ships and traders while Howard was occupied with other activities. 

Kerry paced back and forth on the main deck...trying to resolve internally whether or not to go back to Howard's cabin while knowing that she had been rather neatly dismissed. Something was going on with this kid but it wasn't really apparent what.

She hated unsolved puzzles.

Absolutely couldn't stand not to know the answer or at least the reason. And this particular one was toying at the back of her thoughts incessantly.

Steve watched from not too far away, perched backwards on a chair, dangling by only two of the four rungs.

"So you know what's going on?"

"Not really," he admitted. "It has to do with stuff from before any of us were aboard. Beyond that..." he gestured vaguely to point out that he didn't really know.

"Should we tell the crew?"

"They'll know in a day anyway."

"Still..."

"If Howard wants to he will. It's not our place to decide on what he talks about with the crew."

Kerry had stopped her pacing and stared out the window--eyes fixated on the Earth and a few colonies visible through the port.

"Maybe."

They mutually decided to drop the subject. "There aren't any ships in the area are there?"

"No, not for a while," she responded. "The crew is busy with their own projects. So until Howard comes back on full rotation we're basically free. Dive into the repair bin and find something to do until then."

With that she spun and headed back out the door, heading back towards Howard's quarters.

"Where you goin?"

She held up a brown bottle obviously filled with medicine. "Pneumonia like I figured, stronger antibiotics like he needs."

* * *

Several days passed in much the same fashion. As Steve had predicted, the entire crew knew within a day what was happening and about the mysterious sick stowaway being kept in Howard's quarters. Rumors were also flying like none other. Howard would not volunteer any details and strangely neither did the other three--Ray included. 

Each of them rotated off to try and keep the boy's temperature down. Kerry periodically came in to check or change things even when she wasn't on duty. Unsurprisingly Howard spent much of his time in the same position. And after the second afternoon she was surprised and pleased to announce that the boy's fever had indeed broken.

It didn't mean he was out of the woods...but she had been worried that they would have to resort to ice baths to deal with it. High fevers for prolonged periods of time were very detrimental. But it would only threaten slightly at this point.

The boy moved now as well, rolling from side to side weakly and spontaneously opening his eyes, though he couldn't really see. The rattle in the boy's chest was still quite severe though, Kerry's biggest concern now.

Howard was usually found dozing in a chair at the head of the bed which had become his spot during that first night. Even when he wasn't on duty--during the evening especially-Kerry found him perched calmly in the chair since there weren't many places for him to go to sleep. So he sat with reports or a book or--like Steve--with something from the repair bin. Since things were always breaking on the ship they provided something to do for many of the crew members. And most of the mechanics on the ship liked to pull things apart if only to figure out how it worked and to put them back together.

It was one of these puzzles that so intrigued him at the moment. A part of a turbine lay with its wire innards exposed on the worktable in front of him. Intent on the circuitry it was only by chance that he looked up.

He couldn't contain the surprise of seeing two lucid indigo-violet eyes watching him from over the lip of the bed where he had been propped on pillows to ease his breathing. The bed itself was really nothing more than a glorified box with a mattress sunk into it. But it was still comfortable.

"Well, you're awake. You must be feeling a little better."

Waking up for Duo was one of the more confusing experiences of his short almost eleven years of life. He knew he should've been cold and miserable. Wasn't he still in the cargo hold of that ship?

He should've been there.

But he was warm.

And he felt somewhat cleaner than he had been in a long time. For a strangled glorious and horrifying moment he thought he was back there. But the logical part of his mind knew there wasn't a there anymore. It wasn't possible.

So he had to be somewhere else.

He was so tired. Even though he knew he had been asleep for too long already. Everything ached and it hurt to take a breath. Cracking his eyes open was like pulling tape off his forearm, covered in hairs. The light had been painfully bright, most likely from spending so much time asleep in the dark.

The ceiling was a uniform dark gray. Blankets felt scratchy but were warmer than almost anything he'd been under for weeks before. And it was pretty quiet except for the whirring of a fan which he knew from experience indicated a heater and possibly someone's quarters. There was also a quiet tinkering sound off to his left, which warranted looking into.

It was quite a struggle but he did manage to get himself turned to the side slightly so he could see the rest of the room. Nothing seemed particularly interesting except for the brightly colored spot sitting muttering and tinkering with some sort of electronics thing on the table. He was bald and old-looking reminiscent of someone else and yet completely not in the same instance. Any chance to do more comparing was lost as the man glanced up and locked eyes with him.

Duo felt that tell-tale adrenaline rush flowing into him. He knew he was in a lot of trouble in more ways than one.

An enclosed space with only one escape. Too weak to fight back or resist anything this guy might try to do. Not to mention the fact that he had been caught on someone else's ship and would more than likely be killed. The expression on the man's face understandably went unnoticed.

"Easy kid. I'm not gonna shoot you into vacuum."

The child looked less than convinced and tensed wearily to bolt, though he didn't know where he could go.

The old man spoke again his voice a scratchy alto that was soothing and odd all in one. "Kid you're too sick to try and bolt. You don't know where you are and there aren't any escape pods on this vessel. So you're pretty much stuck here. Please just try and chill out a little bit. The name's Howard. You got a name so I don't have to keep calling you kid?"

The boy swallowed painfully and worked some saliva into his mouth as he unflinchingly stared Howard down. Only after a long moment and a decision on his part did he choose to relent.

"It's Duo. Duo Maxwell." He rasped quietly, though it carried just fine.

"Well it's good to meet you Duo," Howard replied amiably. During his speech he had extricated himself from the chair and sat down next to the boy. Worried that he was moving too fast and knowing that the kid needed to trust him now he moved slowly and tested the boy's temperature with the back of his hand.

The boy stiffened and didn't relax even as he pulled his hand gently away.

Deigning not to repeat the request to relax he simply stated the reason he had gotten so close.

"Your fever's still pretty high but it's broke and won't be too dangerous. You've got a couple of respiratory infections too. You should try and rest." He held a glass with water out and asked whether he would want any.

The kid ('Duo' Howard reminded himself) tried to conceal his interest in the water but he saw it anyway. He held it out without a word and helped the child take a small few sips supporting his head with a hand. The boy stiffened again but still drank, thirst overriding his inbred caution.

"Not too much, you're still sick and I'm guessing you haven't eaten much for a while. Gotta take it slow okay?"

He slowly pulled away again and helped the child lay back on the bed. Two sleepy eyes tracked him again as he set the glass down and sat back in his seat.

"Go back to sleep kid. You're still really sick."

"It hurts." He responded drowsily.

"Where?" Howard asked slightly gruffly...he wasn't used to dealing with children.

"Hurts to breathe," he responded in an almost whine. Howard had almost forgotten for a moment that the boy was just a boy. To a sick child all they could focus on was the pain and couldn't understand why it wouldn't go away. Even orphans he knew that.

Considering his words for a moment Howard phrased his response very carefully.

"I know it hurts kid. Just lay back okay? Close your eyes too."

The boy obeyed without protest this time, his features looking upset as if he just wanted it to go away.

Deciding after a moment that the orders just wouldn't be enough, he gently lowered the blanket a bit.

Carefully...cautiously he reached out and placed a hand over the boy's chest. When Duo didn't object, gently slow a rhythm appeared as he rubbed the boy's chest through the shirt he still wore. Duo didn't stiffen or retract this time, but he was sure it was more from the fact that the boy was nearly unconscious again than from any kind of acceptance.

So for quite some time Howard continued to rub circles over the boy's chest. It served a dual purpose, both giving something for the boy to focus on other than the pain that breathing caused and providing simple human contact that all people needed. Hitched breathing eventually leveled out and calmed as the boy slid further and further into sleep's embrace.

When he was sure that the boy would not awaken at least for a while, only then did Howard carefully remove his hand and pull the blankets back up around him.

The callused hand felt warm, tingling with the friction of a shirt rubbing firmly back and forth. It had felt odd being able to clearly feel each rib through a shirt and a layer of skin; it was vaguely unsettling actually.

The door slid open quietly at that moment. Howard turned quickly, to try and intercept their breaking of the calm the boy had managed to achieve for a few moments.

Kerry and Steve stood quietly in the door, Kerry holding another IV bag and Steve coming in to take shift.

"He woke up."

_TBC_

So comments, criticisms, flames...anything you'd like to throw at me? Please do so now.

Thanks for reading.


	3. Life Lessons 3

Disclaimer: See part one for full disclaimer.

Comments are always welcome.

**Life Lessons 3  
By, Nicole Silverwolf**

"How long was he up?" Kerry asked critically as she snatched up his file from its place at the foot of the bed.

"Just for a few minutes. Drank a little water, got a name out of him. He was too tired and wary to tell me anything else."

Steve began removing the IV bag from the stand and clipping the new one to it. They would continue with the intravenous drugs until the kid was more awake and the worst of the pneumonia had passed away.

Kerry was making a few notes on the page but seemed to be trying to hide a smile more often than not. Tucking the clipboard back where it had come from she rose and set down next to the head of the bed, next to Howard. With a questioning glance and after waiting for an approving nod, her hands moved rapidly, ghosting everywhere as she checked vitals and changes. Howard watched closely but did not object to the ministrations.

"He was complaining that it hurt to breathe. Anything you can do about that Kerry?"

She shook her head in the classic no, even though her eyes did not leave the path of her hands as she worked. "Not right now. I need to give him a more thorough exam before I can prescribe anything else. And as long as he's sleeping peacefully now I don't want to disturb him. He needs the rest more. He'll probably wake up again in a few hours. When he does I need you to keep him awake until I can come and check him out. Ok?"

Steve leaned against the side of the wall casually while Kerry straightened to head back. "Gotcha Kerry."

"So what's his name boss man or are we gonna have to guess?"

Howard smiled faintly. "Meet Duo Maxwell guys."

"When you wake up again I think we'll introduce ourselves more formally," Steve quipped gently to the form on the bed.

Satisfied and a bit worried that they might wake the child with their talking they split up to head elsewhere. Kerry was surprised that Howard followed her out the door instead of staying behind. He more often than not spent the night in his room, regardless of the fact that he wasn't always on duty at night.

"I would have thought you'd spend the night back there boss...where you sleeping tonight?"

"Ahhhh I've got a hammock strung up in hangar three. I sleep there when I need to."

Nodding once they continued together for a few moments. At the end of the hall where it split in two separate directions, they paused for a moment to speak. Kerry's playfully stern voice was the first to break the silence. "Get some sleep bossman. Doctor's orders."

With a sage/near laughing shake of his head and some mutterings that sounded suspiciously like "damn disrespecting, mother henning kids" before good naturally strolling down the hall in the other direction towards the hangars.

* * *

Mornings on a spaceship were only punctuated by the change in time and a call for breakfast as opposed to dinner. The lone cafeteria on the ship served one meal at that time and the crew sat family style around it. While serving in this manner served the purpose of cutting down the food and prep time--it also united the entire group, and was the vehicle to spread orders, news, stories and plentiful jokes. 

Having spent more of the night awake than not, Howard was late and the last to the meal. The only other crew member missing in action was Ray as it was his shift in Howard's room. And though Howard was captain of the ship--meals were an entirely different story--no one took much notice at his entrance other than a perfunctory "hello" or slurred "g'morning". Conversations didn't cease as he settled down near the end of the table near Kerry, Steve, Mike and a few other older Sweepers who were more sedate in their morning rituals.

A cup of coffee, bagel and another cup of coffee were taken in before Howard was even slightly aware. Standing in one fluid movement he waited. Not intending to move it took only a moment for the table full of mechanics and engineers to notice. Silence descended in their noticing wake.

Kerry watched him closely from where she sat two seats down. With a flash of insight it seemed incredibly obvious that he would be telling everyone about Duo. Was it too early to do that? While she had at first advocated telling the crew right away, there was a little part of her that jealously wanted the secret of their kid to stay between the four of them. The child was still very sick as well. Main crew members would still be off limits insofar as being able to see the kid. But they were coming up on port in a day, perhaps he needed to clear the air before suspicions rose among the crew. In any case she listened attentively, even though she knew the story.

"You all know we've had a stowaway in my quarters for the past few days. I would be pretty foolish to think that you all didn't know about it four days ago when Ray and Steve found him down in cargo."

Holding up a hand to forestall the questions nearly pouring out of the curious crew already, Howard glared at them to demand silence again. "Can you wait until I at least finish?" The others laughed quietly at the lame attempt at exasperation. "I'll tell you what we know and then you guys can ask all the questions you want."

Giving a rundown of what they knew about the kid was relatively quick considering how little they knew about the boy. Eyes often slipped to Kerry for confirmation of medical facts, to which she nodded often and rarely spoke up to add more. When Howard settled back and indicated they were finished, the table exploded with questions. As inquisitive as they were they weren't going to lose this opportunity to voice their opinion and get some answers.

"Is he gonna stay here? Have you decided that?"

"Well that's kinda up to him I think, and also up to you. He's too sick to drop of at our next port regardless."

"How long are we talking recovery time?" That from a stocky man near one end of the table. "Not to sound like the bad guy but the kid's draining resources. Would we need to make a stop to pick up more medicine? The stuff on ship is barely gonna cover docking fees, offload rights, and our salaries. What if he gets sicker, or gets the rest of us sick?"

"It's why we've been keeping him in Howard's quarters," Kerry interjected calmly. "As far as him spreading this to the rest of you, the chances are slim if he remains isolated for another week or two. And since none of the people who have been in contact with him are sick and show no signs of coming down with anything I think we're safe from starting an epidemic. We have plenty of medicine if we catch anyone who might have caught it early. So if you're feeling a little sick come and find me sooner not later."

Steve picked up after her without missing a beat.

"When you meet this kid, you'll know why we decided to let him stay on board. He can't be more than eleven, and he was miserable. Not to mention that he was probably miserable far before he ever ended up here."

Steve paused for a moment in his diatribe and Kerry half-expected Howard to jump in because the silence dragged on. But the mechanic continued after a few seconds.

"You can see his ribs. Count his bones. Feel them through his skin. This world's messed up enough as it is. A kid shouldn't have to suffer like that, so we couldn't leave him behind. That answer your question Eduardo? Because I know that every one of you were thinking something along that line."

The silence that followed held the quality of deep regret and guilt. Chagrined at the truth Steve had hit so close to. Mouths hid behind steepled hands, or drew into thin lines as eyes sought anywhere but the speakers at the head. An occasional uncomfortable cough broke the gentle hum of the heating fans.

A tall burly man, one of the largest any had seen was the first to speak. His lilting voice rolled and rumbled with a thick Jamaican accent that would probably never leave the tone. It was soft yet carried effortlessly throughout the room like a huge bell tolling. He never spoke without thinking things out first.

"Perhaps we are a little worried about the boy as a potential threat. But it is partially because we are facing an unknown most of us have never dealt with before. Few of us have ever had much experience with children. Unless you raised younger siblings at home. I think we should allow him to stay if he wishes. Is this the best place for him to stay? I don't think I can answer that and neither can any of you."

"Marlon's right," Mike spoke up from the seat next to Kerry. "I for one don't think we should make the kid leave. Do we need to put this to a vote?"

Various shakes of "no" spanned the entire table. Howard, who had said nothing throughout the discussion, relaxed his shoulders slightly. No one had noticed how tensed and worked up they had become during the last twenty minutes. The captain also knew that he couldn't force the crew to accept this new kid; they needed to decide it for themselves and though he had complete faith in the goodness of his crew he also knew they were practical. He wasn't quite sure himself how they were going to support another crew member, no matter how small.

But they would decide on that later when the kid could stay awake for more than five minutes at a time. Tipping his head to one side in thanks he settled back into his seat.

"We're coming up on dock in under 48 guys. Today, everyone's on prep duty; got it? No shirking on your duties. Make sure the rest of the cargo is inventoried and finish the repairs on that speeder we're dropping off. I want it running like it was made of water by tonight."

As if a light switch had been flipped, the table once again assumed its more relaxed state. Now that they had decided on things, everyone was content to finish their last cup of coffee or the half eaten bagel before they began to drift out slowly to a day of work. Soon it was only Kerry, Steve and Howard.

"You two seem to think those orders don't apply to you. Or is it, that you don't think I've made a good decision in letting them know this early in the game?" Howard leaned back in his seat resting hands on top of his chest.

"You're not worried about the crew sneaking in to see this kid? That they aren't going to just let him stay?" Steve asked.

"No I'm not." The tone held a smug challenge in it that neither of the two chose to take.

It seemed almost destined by fate then that Kerry's beeper chose that moment of silence to fire off.

"It's Duo. I gotta go."

Howard was on his feet and matched her as she rushed down the hall--not running, but walking swiftly--around corners and with practiced ease to the crew quarters.

The room was relatively quiet when the three others made it back to Howard's quarters. Walking inside they could see Ray, sitting quietly with his hands in his lap and a gentle smile on his face. His eyes were focused on the bed and his posture was as non-threatening as it could possibly get.

On the other side of the room, scrunched in the bed and watching with wary indigo eyes was Duo. Hands fisted on top of bed sheets darted between the three newcomers and the youngest Sweeper who sat quietly as far away as possible.

Howard stepped before the two other curious faces, peering at the young child sitting on the bed, with eyes two sizes too large for his small body and a heart shaped face too gaunt to be normal. And a strength of will only seen on veterans of war and of those who lead nations, colonies...worlds. Kerry for one was too surprised to speak.

"Hey Duo. You remember me right?" Howard ventured quietly.

Two eyes locked on his and an almost accusing light entered those too large eyes as he stared the older man down. "What's going on?"

"Easy kid. They're not gonna hurt you either, though Ray and Steve over there can attest to your ability to fight. They're a few of my crew members here on this ship. And this woman is Dr. Kerry. She's our onboard doctor and a fellow Sweeper."

At each reference to a name a different head tipped in a friendly hello.

"And this young man is Duo Maxwell everyone."

Again a chorus of smiling hellos greeted the bed-ridden boy. The youngster relaxed again, either too tired or calming down a bit, the others could not tell. It didn't really make a difference as Duo suddenly tensed before being overtaken by fit of coughing so severe that the boy's face started to tinge blue.

Kerry was instantly at his side, forcing the child to sit up straight to clear his airway and rubbing circles on his back to try and make the act of taking a breath more natural. Howard appeared at their side a moment later, a glass ready when the boy would need it.

"Take it easy kid. There ya go." Howard encouraged quietly as the boy finally stopped, taking in large gasps of oxygen. Liquid, almost tears pooled at the corners of tightly squeezed shut eyes as Duo fought to control both. It took over a minute for the child to stop gasping.

Setting him back Kerry helped him sip a little water before starting a quiet bout of questions between the young boy and herself, which the others couldn't hear from where they were. Howard snatched her bag from the corner and placed it soundlessly on the floor before settling next to the bed, leaning against the table.

"You feeling better Duo?" Kerry asked, concern evident in her voice. Not meeting her eyes the boy shook his head violently in the symbol of no.

"It hurts," The plaintive reply.

"When you breathe and cough like that right?"

A nod 'yes'.

"Anything else hurt? Like when you swallow?"

"Everything aches. It doesn't hurt to swallow," the boy dutifully responded to the blankets.

"Ok Duo. I'm gonna have to listen to what's inside your lungs so I can tell what's wrong and so I can give you some more medicine that will hopefully make you feel better. Is that ok?"

The tenseness in his shoulders hadn't really gone away, even though it was taking an effort to hold it for the ill boy. She had to tread carefully, seeing as the boy was skittish and distrustful. And probably not all that familiar with doctors and procedures as most kids his age would usually be.

Digging a stethoscope out of her bag and warming it between flattened palms; Kerry shifted so she was facing Duo. The motions were rote and she focused on what she was hearing rather than the action she was taking as she slid the metal disk to strategic places on the boy's chest and then back. Every so often she asked for a big breath, and each time the child complied though she knew it hurt a lot.

"Well," she started and directed her comment to the entire room, "you have a lot of fluid in your lungs Duo that isn't supposed to be there. I'm gonna make you take some gross tasting liquid now but it will make your breathing a little easier. You also have a low-grade fever that we want to try and get rid of too. Okay?"

The boy didn't respond but Howard nodded simply. Casting a dubious glance at him, Kerry found the bottle she was looking for. Brown glass and a long complicated name on the label as Duo saw it. Checking for dosage, she measured out a few teaspoons of the clear liquid. "Sorry I don't have something that tastes better," the doctor apologized as she held out the small cup for him to drink.

Looking at the cup warily, Duo tried to debate whether or not taking the weird liquid was a good idea. Even though he had little choice in the matter. Could he trust these "Sweepers" as the old dude had referred to them? Trusting, wasn't something that came very easily to the nearly eleven year old orphan. You didn't trust anyone but yourself on the streets and all the trust he had ever handed out before was usually misplaced or had been torn away.

Maybe just a temporary trust then. Just until he could get off this ship and find somewhere else. That shouldn't take too long, he figured. He had already been on the ship for a week before they found him. That meant there was only a few days between that time and the next stop. Temporary trust would work really good here, he smiled satisfied at his intelligent decision.

A tickle at the back of his throat signaling another bout of coughing was about to commence. The memories of the last painful round were enough to get him motivated. In one, swift movement he threw the cup back and downed the entire contents in one grimacing gulp.

"Eewwww," he complained. "That tastes like cardboard!"

"Sorry Duo, I told you it was gross. Here." Kerry handed him another small pill and a glass of water, which he took and swallowed down. At least the pill didn't taste like anything.

"You're all set for now. You're probably going to feel really tired for the next week or so. Don't fight it and go to sleep if you're tired. You need a lot of rest to get rid of the infections. I'm gonna leave the IV in for a while until you can eat some more food and can drink more regularly."

"How come the needle doesn't hurt? Don't, like all needles do that?"

Steve smiled and let out a breath that could have been mistaken for a laugh. "We put that in while you were sleeping. It won't hurt even if we have to stick it back in now. Pretty cool huh?"

Whether he found the idea cool or not, the fact that an adult had called something cool was enough to elicit a small grin from the boy on the bed. Followed almost immediately by a nearly jaw splitting yawn.

Howard motioned to his two mechanics to get up. "We're docking in under 48 Ray, I assume you have some work to do."

"Yeah boss man. Seeya later Duo!" He smiled and waved his hand once in a later gesture. "You've got a mean arm kid!"

"Thanks. Sorry I hit you so hard though." He replied sheepishly. Kerry wondered about that for a moment. It wasn't like a kid to apologize normally—especially one who lived most of his life on the street. Perhaps he had been in foster care for a while? An orphanage maybe? Another small piece of the puzzle to play with.

Steve, Kerry and Ray nodded once and retreated from the room. Heading left for the bridge she waved goodbye to the two engineers who were heading opposite from her and towards the hangars where work awaited both of them.

It was only mildly surprising to see the old dude sit down again near the bed. Not far away like that guy Ray had been sitting, but not really close either. Between the two Duo decided. Going on his new policy of temporary trusting he lay back against the pillows and relaxed slightly, letting another yawn break out.

This was ridiculous. He had just been asleep! Why did he still feel so tired? Struggling to keep two non-cooperating eyelids in the upright and locked position, he watched the brightly shirted man pull out a book and start to write in it rapidly. There was a question on his tongue and he wanted to ask it rather badly. But asking it would most certainly bring a response that sounded something like, "so we can drop you off with the police or social services at the next colony we stop at."

But his genuine curiosity and his rather cynical view of everything won out and he asked anyway.

"Why are you doing this?"

Howard looked surprised as he lifted his head from the log he had been dictating and chicken scratching the new schedule into. He hadn't expected the question at all, though he probably should have known the kid wasn't typical and would ask.

When Duo didn't receive an immediate response he averted his eyes and found a fascinating rivet in the wall next to him. "I mean I'm just gutter trash. It's not like anyone would miss me if I was dead. And it's stupid of you to waste all that medicine on me cuz I'll prolly be dead in a month anyways."

While the child continued to mumble half-heartedly to the wall--or more precisely to himself—-Howard watched the boy in a sort of muted horror. No child should ever think that about themselves. Maybe Howard didn't understand why the kid thought that way, or how hard it was to live on the streets, but it was still sickeningly wrong. He interrupted without really thinking or deciding to.

"You are not gutter trash Duo." The statement was almost a command from the way he said it, forceful and filled with conviction.

Duo hadn't counted on someone counter arguing his assertions. Whipping his head around, long bangs didn't obscure the look of incredulous challenge and anger in the violet eyes. Traces of the illness' exhaustion still hung over his face and sallow skin dug deep caverns in his face that shouldn't have been there.

"You don't know me. What do you know at all? I'm a damn orphan who grew up on the streets. I shoulda died down there in that cargo hold and no one would have known or cared. I'm not worth anything to anyone. So I'm gutter trash."

"That doesn't make you gutter trash Duo."

"Says who? You?" the child tried to spit the words angrily at him and partially succeeded in the matter.

"Yeah. Me." Howard replied calmly.

Duo didn't have a retort to that. Only two other people had ever contradicted him like that before and they were both very, very gone. And he wasn't going to start thinking about them or he would end up having to explain a lot more than he wanted to, to the guy sitting across the room. Angry, frustrated, and just a bit upset--now that he was most definitely losing this argument--he grumbled sourly. "You know I don't even know who you are."

"The name's Howard kid and I'm in charge of this ship. I figured you probably don't remember when I mentioned that last night. And for what its worth, I don't think that anything you told me qualifies you as 'gutter trash' at all."

Confusion and a bit of that wariness were back in the boy's face as he stared down Howard. They stayed like that for a long while.

_TBC_

Sooooo what do you think? Comments, criticisms, flames...anything you'd like to throw at me? Please tell me!

Thanks for reading.


	4. Life Lessons 4

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer in first chapter.

Comments are always welcome.

**Life Lessons 4  
By, Nicole Silverwolf**

_Medical Log March 25 AC 191:_

_Duo's pneumonia is responding to the aggressive treatments thus far, which have been noted in earlier logs. Unfortunately, it is very possible that the rattle still audible in the boy's chest is due to some form of permanent lung damage sustained before Duo's appearance on our ship. In any case the boy's recovery has been remarkably quick considering that the child very nearly died the night he was discovered. It will probably be something close to two weeks before the child feels well enough to get around for a whole day._

_In regards to the patient's extreme malnutrition, progress is far slower. While not uncommon in cases as severe as this one, it is disheartening. The lagging response to the vitamins, minerals and supplements we have been providing only serve to prove that the child had been suffering from this for more than a few months. While Duo will most likely respond to the constant treatment over an extended period of time it is not unlikely that the child will always be on the stunted side in regards to growth._

_On a more personal note. He looks at me instead of the blankets now. Possibly a greater victory than any other._

_Dr. Kerry O'Neil_

For nearly a week Duo was nothing more than an interesting lump on Howard's bed. He slept more often than not, a curled ball wrapped in blankets, and messy chestnut.

When weariness abated for a few brief hours, Duo was forced to eat a small meal and take more medicine. These small meals were high in nutrition content--sometimes at least--Steve was still trying to figure out how a piece of the chocolate cake from dinner the day before qualified as healthy food for a sick kid.

Though Duo had found the cake to be very good, he had developed a bit of a fetish for red grapes. A milestone in itself it was the first time the child had requested more of anything, without several prods from the server with him at the time. It seemed to surprise Duo that requesting more food did not anger the four in charge of his health. Not as if it was something totally alien to him but something he couldn't quite figure out about the crew. He was a stowaway. Something seemed a bit out of place about their kindness to him at least.

After that, regardless of the meal, a small bundle of washed red grapes appeared on every plate provided for the recovering younger boy.

Though the crew was interested in meeting the young man, they also respected Howard's orders to stay away from the quarters to avoid spreading illness. Every few hours someone new would poke around looking for Kerry or Howard, and asking about the ship's newest addition.

Duo--they soon discovered--practically cherished water. Adored it in every possible form the liquid came in and preferred it over everything when he was awake. Without explaining much he had quietly mentioned one afternoon to Ray that on L2, water was so rationed that unless you were rich there was barely enough water to drink let alone bathe in.

The next afternoon, when the boy tried hardest to stay awake--by an Earth standard clock around four in the afternoon--Ray and Steve sprung a surprise bath on Duo. As an almost present for him since he was unconscious for the first one.

For Duo, having been only wet for a few minutes at a time in water that felt like sweat and grime and distillation, this was as close to heaven as his young mind could comprehend.

Though the bath only lasted about ten minutes, it had taken its toll on Duo, exhausting the child completely. Healing rapidly, he was still weak and tired out by relatively non-taxing events such as baths. His body was rebounding incredibly quickly, possibly due to his hard life and being born in the colonies. But the pneumonia was just as stubborn in clearing from his lungs and played tug of war with Duo's health.

The two older men were barely able to get the child dressed in the washed sweats, and a sandwich, meds and water into him before he was curled up in the blankets again.

He didn't stir at all when Kerry came in hours later, and with little skill in the area, rebraided his hair. It was a testament to how exhausted he was.

* * *

"Hey Steve! Wait up man!" Came a hardly audible shout over the clinging and clattering of huge cranes and movers. 

The called for man stopped in his tracks and searched through the brown and blue grays of this typically mundane docking bay until he spotted Ray racing to catch up. Dressed in khaki's and civilian clothes with a backpack strung over both shoulders, it was hard to compare him to the quirky mechanic. Ray had a thing about sleeping the wrong way on a bunk and a rather laughable fear of little unconscious kids.

Ray pulled up short, gulping recycled air like a fish out of water.

"Are you heading on colony Steve?"

While the Sweepers traveled from colony to colony every few days, rarely did anyone have a lot of time to travel into the colony itself. The docks were separated from the main parts of the city and everyone was often so busy that the only time anyone ventured into the city was at night for a drink at a bar or for dinner. Someone had once dubbed it "going on holiday" since they rarely got past the huge cranes skirting the outsides of the huge bays. Of course the notable exception was the food runner--a person designated by the cook for the trip--to go and get the food supply for the duration of their flight.

Waiting while Ray re-conserved oxygen for a moment he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm getting food for Marlon and doing a little shopping."

"It isn't someone's birthday or something is it?" Ray didn't think it was. He would have remembered something like that.

"No. But I was thinking that our new crew member could use some clothes of his own, don't you think?"

"Cool I was thinking the same thing. Mind if I tag along?"

"Nope. C'mon"

They started walking again, moving around the gigantic crates and cranes swooshing by with a natural grace and ease which made it seem almost like a dance.

"So you got any plans for tonight Ray?"

"Yeah, a few of us are planning to hit the bars tonight. I hear there are a couple of great brewery's around here. Eduardo mentioned them. We're gonna check a few of them out. You? Any plans tonight?"

Steve nodded silently as they ducked under a low beam and away from a particularly loud engine that blocked all sounds.

"A few of us are heading to a bar we like here. Good beer, not much hassle, not a lot of tourists, real locals place. Good jazz too."

They continued on to the town below.

Market was a relatively straightforward transaction. However they spent a good deal of time haggling over the price of bananas, which had been significantly lower the last time they had stopped here. Marlon had insisted on having real Earth grown bananas, not the ones grown in hydroponics bays. Those weren't good for frying or something like that. It was good luck that he would only need enough for one night. Otherwise they would never have enough money to buy the rest of the food they would need for the week and a half long journey to the L5 area.

Most of the stuff would be delivered by the end of the work day when the stalls would close up shop for the night. The rest would be delivered in the morning before they were scheduled to depart.

With Steve's required chores out of the way, the two Sweepers turned to the other task they had set out for themselves that morning. Combined with a meager haul and bills that the two accumulated despite the fact that they lived on an inter-colony transport ship, they had little money left over to spend on extras.

Fortunately there were many thrift and second hand shops in the area and both of the men had learned to live on a shoestring budget before, in college and after. They managed to accumulate a decent collection of clothes that would fit Duo and which closely resembled the ones they had found him in a few weeks ago.

Surprisingly it had been one of the few things the child had been adamant about having returned to him. The worn black wool fabric, which had seen better days to say the least, was like a sort of security blanket it seemed to them. It must have been very important to the boy. Unfortunately the threads that made up the cloth were holding together by luck and gravity alone. Even Duo had to admit they weren't suitable for wearing anymore.

But they had managed to find some things that were almost identical in nature to the other one...they would probably be fine. Added to that were several other essential things so there were enough clothes to fill out roughly a week for the kid.

"So when do you wanna spring this little surprise on the kid?"

"Tonight, before we go?"

"I was planning on going early..."

"...how bout after then?"

"With the way you drink Ray, that would just be a bad idea."

"What are you talking about! You can drink almost anyone under the table. I've seen you do it on several occasions."

Steve chuckled lowly.

"How about after you're over your hangover?"

"HEY!"

"It's not my fault that I never have one."

Laughter followed the two as they returned to the ship under the cover of the late afternoon light.

Days later the Sweepers were well on their way, with a new (very thoroughly checked for stowaways) cargo. Several new parts orders as well as a rather new model ship in need of massive upgrades and repairs (already) now left the crew with little free time on their hands. When they weren't working, most slept or did mundane chores like laundry and such.

Consequently, Duo was left to himself for long periods of time. And while the boy had recovered much faster than anyone had figured, he was still tired often. Being at the brink of death seemed to do that to a person. More than a few times around Howard's room proved to be a bit much for the boy. He was still bedridden, more often than not.

Howard was the first to notice anything out of the ordinary.

They had been right in assuming that Duo was an orphan. Managing to pry that out of the quiet boy had taken some time but had finally been achieved. What Howard had also assumed was that the boy had no formal education. Certainly didn't believe the boy could read at such a high grade level already. Maslow's hierarchy of needs stated that needs like food and shelter came way before that of school and education.

Perhaps, had he thought back a little bit it wouldn't have surprised him.

But he could definitely tell that a few of his mechanical manuals for everything from circuitry to Mobile Suits had been moved, though it wasn't obvious from anyone else's standpoint. His copy of Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy was plain missing from its spot on the shelf.

A physics textbook was gone as well, and copies of his engineering texts had been moved along with a battered and taped up copy of Michael Crichton's "Sphere".

Perhaps that was why it was almost two minutes before Duo surfaced from the world of force-equals-mass-times-acceleration and refraction.

This psychics stuff wasn't so hard Duo decided as he flipped to the next page in the book and began to read, one finger skimming along lightly under the line he was reading. There were plenty of pictures and diagrams to help out when words just didn't make sense, or when those annoying letter filled formulas got in the way. He understood that every letter represented something different but when put together things would just disappear (derivation--he found out much later) with no real explanation as to where they had gone. He had to assume that was something you learned later in math, considering he had only started algebra before he left school.

Duo hadn't particularly liked school for the times he had been there. Sitting in a desk all day while someone endlessly repeated things which he got on the first try was not his ideal way to spend a day. Not to mention the fights with Fed kids and the name calling, which he often won at, but carried the heavy price tag of saddened eyes and gentle scoldings.

But learning was a whole other thing. He really liked to read, after he had learned how to and he loved to take things apart to see how they worked. He had been doing that long before he had gone to a school as a way to get rid of nervous energy on the street when it was too dark for people to be out that were worth pick pocketing.

He had cultivated this rather introverted personality for himself to remain unattached and underestimated. One of the first rules of survival on the street. Though he was disappointed to learn that not all his meekness was faked as he was still recovering. But he figured that the time to be leaning on someone else for support was over. It was time to move on.

But in the mean time, it couldn't hurt to do a little reading.

Propping the textbook on his crossed knees he blew his bangs out of the way, let them resettle and used his fingers to simulate what he had been reading about. Putting meaningless words into visual context.

He cursed himself for months after that for letting his guard fall so low.

"You've got it. But your right hand should be concave to get the effect you're reading about."

The book was gone before Howard could register where it was going to and he was on the receiving end of a glare tinged with so much fear that it could barely be called a glare. Duo had a tight fisted grip on his own hands and managed to sit loose and open as if ready for a fight.

Howard sighed quietly. "Kid. I thought we went over this before. We're not gonna throw you off. I thought you would have understood that meant you could read a book if you got bored too. Chill out."

"I don't need your charity," Duo bit out angrily.

Charity.

So that's what the kid thought this was. Privately Howard thought it wasn't that far off the base, if you were sticking to the traditional definition of the word. But he had never thought of it as that, and neither did he think of it as "saving" the boy from something. It was seamless and just seemed right. Calling it charity seemed so condescending.

Howard lowered himself gingerly into the chair in the room, joints creaking and popping in angry protest for the silent room to hear. The dehumidifier was on the fritz again and coupled with a long day of work, Howard could feel his age beginning to creep up on him.

"Look kid...I hadn't planned on discussing this plan with you just yet but I guess now's better than never. Besides...it's ultimately your decision even if this first part of the deal is gonna be a little forced."

Duo remained silent.

Howard continued.

"You stay here," he held up a hand to silence the protest already almost falling from the boy's lips, "at least until we get to L5 next Tuesday. That means sleeping here and taking the meds Kerry gives you--she says you should still be in bed for a while anyways. The rest of the time you're free to go anywhere on the ship and you'll eat meals with the rest of us in the mess hall."

"After that it's up to you."

Howard glanced up and despite the impossibility of it all felt the temperature go down several degrees when he looked into those violet-blue eyes. Anger and indignation practically radiated off the boy and his eyes were hardened ice flints that could cut diamond. Behind there was such a force of will and hatred of being forced into anything that Howard figured out then and there how Duo had survived that first night on their ship. He just wouldn't give up.

Of course this wasn't going to be easy. 'When was it ever?' Howard thought.

"Duo, you know and I know, you don't have anywhere to go once you get off this ship. I don't think of this as charity and neither does anybody else on this crew. Look at it as an investment for the future or just doing the right thing...it doesn't matter because they're the same in my mind. Look, if you can't stand it in a week when we dock on L5, no one on this ship will stop you from leaving. You have my word and theirs. But a bed, clothes, food and a paycheck might not be a bad way to spend the next couple of months at least."

"I could steal the same shit from you and it wouldn't make a difference." The sharp, too old voice retorted from the bed.

"You could," Howard mused exaggeratedly a wry glint coming into warm brown eyes. "Ya know I never really thought of it that way before."

Duo got the distinct impression he was being mocked a bit. His scowl deepened to the point where it was nearly comical (pretentious almost), yet deadly serious in the child's eyes.

"Just think about it a little okay? If the way you've been reading through those manuals and deciphering my physics textbooks is any indications, you'd probably be a great engineer. Think about it."

With an almost exaggerated huff the older man continued. "I got some work to do now."

And with no more than that abrupt ending, Howard turned away from the violet-blue eyed boy and bent over several schematics, making notes and muttering as he went.

* * *

Duo tried to hold that angry look of his. It had seemed like it would be so easy, five minutes ago. But the truth was, a little part inside of him; the part that whispered of companionship and friends, urged him to accept the idea. This part of the boy's conscience was particularly larger than many and craved for its owner's attention often. Duo was quite a sociable kid when stripped of all the natural and erected defenses he had built around himself. 

Practicality would overrule anything else though. Street smarts first. Realistically he couldn't leave the port till at least Tuesday when they reached L5. By then, Duo figured, he would be off at least the majority of the antibiotics that he was still forced to down once a day. The rest would heal up on its own. As for stockpiling supplies, he already had clothes--a confusing but welcome surprise from the two guys Ray and Steve--but food would be harder to get.

But that was what he had been taught to do from birth. It wouldn't be hard to scrape by. He'd have to fight hard to establish a new territory for himself but it wasn't anything new either.

Violet-blue eyes darted almost guiltily down to the book expertly hiding inbetween the bunk and the wall. A worn spine, with weathered words printed on the once gleaming plastic surface. For all the mistrust and anger he had shown the people here, they had been kind to him. They had done far more for him than anyone had done for quite a while. A church was the last place he remembered being shown this much kindness.

Howard had offered him what sounded like a job with them, though it was vague. A chance to make some real money.

Not to mention the comfort of having a bed to call your own, even if it was for only a few weeks. No food problem, and a chance to read the rest of that physics book.

It wasn't like he had to decide on that right now. He still had almost a week of forced recovery to go.

Howard surreptitiously watched the kid from the corner of his eye and turned slightly to hide a grin in the well-worn shirt.

With a look of supreme determination on his face as if having come to some sort of grave decision about the meaning of life, Duo removed the book from the hiding place he had stuffed it in moments ago.

With careful hands pages fell back to where they had been moments ago and Duo was immersed in the world of lenses. Hands came up again and positioned themselves carefully. Frowning slightly, eyes darted back and forth as the child reviewed the conversation he had just had. With a little thought about the matter Duo turned his hand so that instead of a concave and a convex lens there were two concave lenses.

Howard thought he was being unobtrusive.

When Duo shot him a triumphant glance and an almost smirk before turning back to the book he knew that he had a lot to learn.

_TBC_

Sooooo comments, criticism, flames, reviews...anything you'd like to throw at me? Please do so now.

Thanks for reading.


	5. Life Lessons 5

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer in first chapter.

Comments are always welcome.

**Life Lessons 5  
By, Nicole Silverwolf**

Kerry squinted out the window again and ran down a mental checklist of the colonies in the L3 area. She was sure that she had missed something. This colony had not been here before.

Snagging her hand out blindly she was surprised to find Marlon on the other end. He usually didn't frequent the bridge for some odd reason. But her luck was still good; he would probably have the answer she was looking for.

"Marlon." She smiled gently in greeting. He nodded in return.

"Kerry. How goes it?"

"Not bad. Can you tell me what colony that is? I know we've never seen it before. You and Eduardo spent a lot of time here at one point right? Know anything about it?"

She pointed to the one still viewable outside the port window. They were in a low wake style zone where their speed was monitored by the colonies carefully. To avoid accidental collisions, speeds were regulated. Consequently they were moving very slowly past this last cluster of colony before reaching open space where they could push the ship to its limits.

"I'm pretty sure it's one of the new ones. LX18999 I think. They just finished it a little over four months ago. They're just now starting to get settlers."

"Who runs it?"

"Not sure. Although rumor has it that it's the Barton Foundation." There was something unpleasant in his voice like he had just tasted something rancid when he mentioned that.

Darkness clouded her eyes and her response. "Really." She stared critically at it until they had passed fully. Marlon also fixed his eyes on the small floating mass of metal and air.

"Kerry. If you don't mind much I would like my arm back please. Or we won't be eating dinner tonight."

Sheepishly she dropped Marlon's arm, which he had been too polite to tug out of her lax grasp.

"Sorry man. Lost in my own thoughts. You could have pulled away--you know that. What's to eat?" Turning from the window port the two strolled off deck.

"You'll find out when we eat, like everyone else on the crew. However I believe the bananas will have to be in the forecast before they go bad and are completely useless."

"Oh yeah? Great!"

"I would appreciate it if that was kept to a minimum on the crew gossip though."

"Of course Marlon. My lips are sealed till dinner."

"Good."

* * *

When Duo Maxwell decided to accept Howard's plan for at least the time being, he hadn't expected it to be implemented that very evening. He was barely willing to acknowledge that eating with a team of Sweepers, where he was decidedly the youngest member, was a little nerve wracking. Kerry had mentioned that establishing a bit of a routine would help him to get better. So that was a plus...especially if it meant that he would recover faster. That was definitely a good sign in his opinion. 

None the less Duo wasn't exactly looking forward to being cornered and questioned by that many people. Howard hadn't noticed his fidgety behavior--or if he did--chose to ignore it. He hadn't looked up from a schematic and notepad for a good twenty minutes now. Duo figured he probably had noticed and couldn't decide whether that ignorance was calming or not.

It didn't really matter he decided as his deft fingers rebraided his hair. Taking only a moment to wonder where the new piece of string had come from he tied the end off swiftly.

He had changed into new clothes but had opted for his old and worn slip on shoes that left barely a centimeter of material between his feet and the cold metal deck. The shoes the guys had procured for him were two sizes too big for his feet. Hidden beneath the clothes and at the base of his neck under his braid were the rest of his worldly possessions.

"Ready to go?"

He hadn't even heard the dull ringing that signaled a meal was about to be served.

Without responding he rolled unsteadily out of bed and followed Howard slowly.

* * *

It was just a gray, featureless door. There weren't any real distinct markings on it; in fact there hadn't been any distinguishing landmarks anywhere on the journey here. Duo wondered how anyone managed to find their way around without getting lost every third turn. 

Howard was far from unobservant and far from oblivious. But it paid to be a bit more laid back than most people. Overly laid back if he asked any of his colleagues but that was their opinion. Personally he had spent too much of his life pushing to the future. Now he realized the value of taking it easy often.

So he waited patiently at the door until Duo looked up at him with faintly disguised interest and a bit of wary fear.

"Don't worry. They don't bite I swear. They're a little weird and a little crude but most families usually are when they get together. And though we're a little eclectic...we are one."

Duo's eyes narrowed but he didn't respond immediately. "If you say so," he replied skeptically. Placing a tiny hand up against a panel he instinctively knew would open the door he pushed gently, letting the pressure do its work.

Said gray door opened with a hiss. It seemed rather anti-climatic when no deathly pregnant silence greeted their entrance. And though Duo didn't expect a rousing welcome, he hadn't quite expected this.

The room was big but not huge. One large table lined the center of the sector, and mismatched chairs surrounded it. Lining one wall was a wide-open window that opened in on a kitchen gleaming in varying shades of silver and black. The other wall was covered in windows that looked out over the stars. The clattering of pots and pans, sizzling of something that smelled pretty good and the sounds of someone male and from somewhere not usual emanated from inside.

Setting the table with forks, knives and the like were a few younger looking Sweepers he had never seen before. One of them was currently whacking another upside the head with a napkin and gesturing to the table in argument.

The varied people didn't seem to notice Duo decided as he instantly absorbed the caconophy of movement, noise and actions. It had been necessary to do so on the streets. Instantly assessing a situation made pick pocketing so much easier. And even after he had swept his eyes over the room twice they still hadn't made him yet. It would have been amazingly easy to canvas and jack the entire room in minutes.

He spotted Ray in a seat off to the left and caught sight of the ratty jeans that were torn at the bottom- not in some retro fashion type thing worn from age and not repaired. Amending the haul estimate he dropped his gaze a little in a bit of guilty shame. Old habits died hard. Especially the survival ones.

He was too absorbed by his own thoughts to notice the woman at first.

She wasn't exactly large, but she wasn't thin outright. Her eyes were warm but held a sort of no-nonsense-ness in them. She wasn't that much taller than him, but had much darker skin and spoke with a definite American accent.

"You're Duo right? If you're eating with us tonight you gotta help out a little okay?" The woman didn't wait for an answer as she pressed a pile of slightly crumpled cloth napkins into almost outstretched hands.

"I'm sure you can fold napkins?"

There was a dazed sort of nod of assent from the boy. He was pretending to be overwhelmed that was all, he kept telling himself.

"Good. One under every fork. You can do that and you're done for the evening. I'm Candi by the way. KANG! I know you're not trying to sneak out of plate detail again! Get your ass back here!" She launched herself after a taller but thinner Korean man who had been trying to sneak out the door. Two toned black and blonde hair--styled to reflect the modern cutting edge--was far too noticeable to pass off as 'who me?' syndrome.

There was a muffled curse from the retreating form as it tried to slip past the still "stunned" Duo.

Violet eyes quirked with a knowing smile that he couldn't quite catch in time. He hadn't meant to let it slip that he understood the feeling. The glances of the long-suffering chore-doers met each other. Duo was surprised when Kang--he wasn't sure that was his first name or not--grinned at him like Solo used to before turning around and trudging dramatically back into the room. The two started arguing as he picked up a stack of plates and began to set them out.

Maybe this wasn't going to be that bad.

At least for a week his mind amended hastily.

Howard waited calmly at his side until Duo moved forward and away from his side to the table. No one would have guessed the relief in seeing the boy blend with the crew so effortlessly. He figured it had something to do with living your life and trying not to be noticed...but it seemed like it was a little more than that. Like a missing puzzle piece or that flash of insight into a problem. Duo just fit in.

Watching the child interact awkwardly with Bryan Kang was a warming sign. He was smiling a tiny bit--a prelude to a great grin--which could have made everything right. Was firm in the handshake, although it was a little ridiculous considering how small Duo's hand was compared to Bryan's. They were hitting it off fine as they both set about the task of finishing setting the table.

Satisfied Howard turned his attention to his older members and good friends alike. Steve, the oldest continuing member of his Sweepers was lounging against a bulkhead wall and the window, holding a conversation with Eduardo and Aditi. Though Eduardo and Steve saw differently on almost anything they choose to discuss they both enjoyed good conversation and were both avid sports fans outside of their own work. They could argue about referee calls for hours on end. It made them good friends.

Ray, Mike and Jason were flopped on chairs nearby, talking about something or other that seemed to hold their deep attention. A few other members trickled in as the moments went by. Kerry here, Sarah there.

Trusting that everyone was at least on their way, he headed to the door, which connected to the kitchen.

"Marlon? You almost done? Need help?"

"No Capn'! Just about finished in here. Make sure the serving kids get their butts in here now so we can get this out and can eat on time tonight."

"Mike! Randall! Hayao! Get in there...we're eating. Ring the final bell."

Someone slammed their hand onto a comm panel near the wall and another sharp ring shot out to announce last call for dinner.

Moments later, several others strolled in--some holding beers and looking wholly nonchalant--and settled down at the table for dinner. As was usual with large meals it was a flurry of activity that preceded the actual meal, and people were running back and forth from the window and carrying steaming trays and several of the kitchen pots out to the table. Weaving in and out of each other's paths expertly.

"We're out of bowls apparently..." Mike trailed off as he caught Howard's raised eyebrow. He hefted a steaming frying pan onto a pad to keep it from burning the table before wheeling around and trudging back to the window. He narrowly avoided Randall's pot that found it's way next to the frying pan.

Bryan steered Duo towards Ray, who was holding a seat between where he and Bryan sat.

"Sup Duo? Hungry yet?"

Duo, considerably more alert looking and taking in everything he possibly could swiveled his head and nodded a brief, earnest approval.

"Good because Marlon is one of the best cooks we've got here. I hear we're even having brown sugar fried banana's tonight which is his specialty."

The boy shrugged philosophically and looked with almost rapt amazement at the sheer amount of food now littering the table. He hadn't seen this much food in...he couldn't remember when. From his seat he could make out at least five separate bowls and at least three pots and frying pans all of which were steaming and smelled good.

But then again he wasn't really that picky about what he ate. Anything would be good so long as it was food. There was one more booming from the room and Duo watched as the largest man he had probably ever seen in his entire life strode out into the room and took the only vacant seat left, on Howard's left.

Having noted that he picked out a few more familiar faces from the mainly nameless rest of the crew. Steve was seated on Howard's right, and two seats down was Ray. Across from him and a seat further down the table was Kerry--the doctor--easy to pick out with her red hair. Candi was sitting next to her and they both smiled gamely at him when they noticed the almost stare.

"Evening everybody. Like to welcome a temporary new member to the crew. Everyone meet Duo Maxwell. Duo, meet the Sweepers."

A sociable nature was hard to suppress at any age and even more so while a child. Combined with the warm, sheepish smile and a face that could charm just about anyone who was alive made Duo instantly popular among the crew. They smiled and waved--varying layers of friendly overture apparent--that felt awkwardly welcoming and nice Duo decided.

"You'll need to know who everyone is in case you get lost; this ship's a little like a maze. You already know Steve..."

"We're starving man! Can't we do introductions afterwards?"

Brown eyes glanced down over glasses at the table of people with degrees of hunger ranging from parched to starving. Mike was practically drooling.

"Okay, I don't see why not. No one's leaving till after that though."

"Thanks Howie!" Kang cheered from his seat and pointedly ignored the glare being directed at him and the balled up napkin, which bounced harmlessly off his head.

Duo bit his lip to keep from giggling. 'Howie huh?'

The humor of the situation and the name was soon lost as every plate was heaped with foods from far and wide. Pots were being handed over heads and every voice seemed to have a comment on what was being passed about.

Duo took a little of everything, scooping off of plates held out to him and holding a few for Ray to grab some of his own. The dishes weren't fancy persay but they were definitely more exotic than most of the things he had had in his lifetime. Turkey and chicken were passed around the table, one smothered in a brown sauce--Duo couldn't describe it as more than that--one plain. There was rice pilaf, and plain rice with black beans, broccoli, stuffed eggplants, and other plates prepared in ways that smelled good even if he couldn't tell how they were made or even what they were.

The soup definitely looked weird though. There were big wedges of something that might have resembled potatoes floating in a broth with big dark green leaves mixed in. He wasn't sure but it might have been sausage that was peeking out from under a leaf.

Ray smiled at the almost poisonous glare the boy was directing at the soup.

"Don't knock it before you try it Duo. It's Portuguese Kale soup. Trust me, I haven't met a single person who didn't like it."

Dutifully picking up a spoon and brandishing it in a very determined manner, Duo took a spoonful of the concoction. Doubtful that it really was edible he quickly stuffed it in his mouth. Maybe it would be like medicine...if he hated it he would be finished with it soon enough. At first it barely registered as a taste. It wasn't spicy or sweet but was good none the less. It tasted more like the meals he had been accustomed to in the orphanage and in the shelters on L2.

It tasted like memories and felt warm but from something more than the vaporization and fast moving molecules. The soup seemed to disappear from the bowl after that, melting away steadily but never seeming to. Other things were being added along the way and the plate was clean soon enough.

Conversations swirled around them and Duo listened to everything from recognizable shoptalk, to a joke that probably had a very funny punch line if he had been there for its entirety. Kerry was discussing something and laughing often with the girls of the crew. The hum of conversation and the clinking of silverware and plates was comforting and would have ordinarily been lulling. But there was so much to try and map, orient, assess that he couldn't doze off just yet.

Dessert was as Ray had predicted. Banana's sliced and fried with brown sugar and butter. They were gone almost instantly.

It was almost an hour before the meal wound down.

"Great meal again Marlon!"

A chorus of agreement rose from the table as a whole.

"Man can't we make him the permanent cook on ship! You wouldn't mind would you Marlon?"

"If it got me out of your peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches Randall, hell's yes I'd take your shift!"

"Eduardo likes them!" came the protest.

"That's right!" said person enthused from further down the table.

"They are possibly the most repulsive things we serve on this ship!" Mandy pointed out and got a round of nods from a large portion of the crew as well.

"Hey, I'm not a cook. Sue me. Or better yet how bout coming up with a better meal that takes the same skill and prep time."

"Ever heard of jelly Randall? It is the prop for peanut butter." Kerry intoned with over dramatic hand gestures.

"Ah but that is simple sandwich preparation, this is culinary art...genius in fact!"

Laughter erupted from the table and even Randall joined in after a few serious looking artistic gestures of his own.

Holding hands against his side to push back the pain of lack of oxygen, Howard raised a hand and waved for attention. After a few moments the room quieted down enough to be heard.

"Okay okay guys! Before you all head off to various things for the evening we really should do some intros for the poor kid. At least so he knows what to call us when we're insulting cooking styles for the next week."

Duo scowled slightly at the use of the word 'poor kid' but it went largely unnoticed by the table. He would hazard that no one had noticed actually.

"Ok well I'm Howard, chief engineer and captain of this little hunk of junk."

"Steve, our head of mechanics and the only other guy who can keep any of these hoodlums in line. He's the second oldest Sweeper here next to me."

"Marlon is another of our top engineers and he knows more about suit production and design than even I do. And as you can attest Duo, he's a great cook."

The large man tipped his head in greeting and smiled widely at the warm indigo eyes.

"Ray is our youngest member at twenty four but has proven himself as an excellent engineer and mechanic. Bryan Kang--Kang--to everyone on this ship acts like he's twelve at times but is also one of our first rate engineer slash mechanics."

"Kerry O'Neil MD is our ship doc. She's also a chemical engineer and in charge of keeping things from blowing up around here. Done a pretty good job so far!"

Baleful blue eyes rolled at Howard over that statement.

Ignoring the comment after that Kerry picked up the introductions flawlessly.

"On my left here is Candi Williams. She's a mechanical engineer from Earth originally." They gripped hands with each other before the red head continued.

"The big ponytail and the thick bangs down there belong to Mandy. She's a kickin' mechanic." A girl wearing a tight white shirt with a black leather jacket over it smiled brightly and waved from the far end of the table.

"Randall's an engineer/repair specialist who knows how to fix all our communications equipment backwards and forwards even when it's been squished to bits."

"I used to jack up stereos as a kid," he shrugged in a self-depreciating kind of way.

Steve picked up next. "Tezuko Hayao, our electrical engineer and one of our computer specialists. Not a bad pilot either."

Duo could see Hayao nodding in obvious pride.

"Mike there," he pointed to where the man was lounging with his chair tipped back, "is one of our mechanics and pilots this hunk of metal most of the time we're out here."

"Aditi Gupta is the head of our computer engineering division." A young looking Indian woman smiled widely and waved from three seats down on his side.

"And that is Jason..."

"...she's one of our mechanics an..."

"...a medical assistant to Kerry..."

Somewhere along the line the names had started to blur. Stifling a yawn Duo lost track of who was talking and who was being pointed to. Eyes drooped of their own accord and with each passing moment they managed to stay closed just a little longer.

Who knew dinner could be such an exhausting event.

"Okay guys I think that's enough for the night. Cleanup you know what to do, and everyone else, don't forget you have work to do tomorrow and that we're having department check-ins after lunch."

Standing quietly there were a few calls for bed, although most everyone else was content to go of and watch vids, work on small projects or go and play basketball. Though it was a bit different with their gravity systems it never failed to attract someone every night. Several more unlucky souls just stared at the plates that lined the table from one end to the other. It was going to be a long night of dish scrubbing.

"Ok time for bed for you Duo." Kerry had materialized at his side as if by magic alone.

Though he would have normally protested with everything in him (bedtimes were a serious issue to him) he could tell he was losing the war against sleep. Shuffling along the table length he didn't register the gentle g'night-Duo's and "welcome to the Sweepers kid" that were beckoned to him as Kerry steered him left and right out of the door.

Steve was with her and Howard was right next to him as they made their way back to Howard's quarters. It was quiet except for the hum of generators and whirring of fans.

When Duo turned right instead of left for the third time Steve slipped forward and swept the boy effortlessly up into his arms. That lasted for all of a second before the boy started to struggle, stretching and turning his whole body to wiggle out of the grip, almost like a puppy.

"Let go of me! Put me down! You can't do this!"

"Take it easy Duo. You were heading to the bridge and you're almost falling over as it is. Just chill a little kay? It'll be faster this way."

After a few phantom struggles, Duo gave in, curling a little against Steve's shoulder and laying his small head on the one shoulder while watching everything around him. Resigned-to-his-fate Kerry decided his face spoke.

When they did get back to Howard's quarters Steve let the boy go and he leapt from the older man's grasp to the ground a few feet away, happy to be out of that rather embarrassing situation.

Changing and taking medicine didn't take long and soon it was only Howard and Duo in the small quarters. Kerry and Steve had bade goodnight to them both before heading off in separate directions.

"So what do you think of the rest of us crazy people?" Howard asked lightly as he settled into his seat by the bed and drew up the covers around Duo, who promptly pushed them back down again.

"You're crazy. But you're not bad or anything. The soup was good. Kang's funny. I guess I can live with you for a week."

"Glad you approve Duo."

The boy set out a jaw splitting yawn and turned a little to hunker down under the covers a bit more.

"G'night kid."

Howard wasn't sure but he thought that something like 'night Howie' was mumbled before the boy's eyes closed for good and he sunk into sleep.

"Kang's gonna give you bad habits Duo," he smiled with a lingering look at the child.

There was a beep on the laptop next to him and he turned to it curiously. New email. Not that that was unusual, it was the main form of communication for the entire ship's crew since they were constantly on the move and communication in outer space was rather short-range vid and phone wise. There wasn't any subject but the return address was one he recognized. A good friend of his. But why would he be sending an encrypted email to him?

Sliding fingers expertly over the keyboard he clicked it open and began to sift through the encryption layers with practical ease.

_TBC_

Soooo... comments, criticisms, reviews, flames, praise...anything you'd like to throw at me? Please do so now.

Thanks for reading.


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